Lagaan Actor Shrivallabh Vyas Passes Away At 60

Bollywood actor Shrivallabh Vyas passed away in Jaipur yesterday after a prolonged illness. The National School Drama alumni passed away at 9:30 A.M. on Sunday. He was only 60 years old and the last rites took place on Sunday evening.

Vyas has 60 movies and multiple television shows to his name. His most noted works are Lagaan (2001,) Sardar (1993,) Sarfarosh (1999,) Shool (1999,) Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero and Abhay and Dil Bole Hadippa (2009.)

In 2008, Vyas suffered a brain stroke followed by a paralytic attack during the shoot of a film in Gujarat. The actor fell in the night and was found bleeding profusely the next morning. Vyas was operated on but the injury was far from recovered and was bedridden.

Vyas’s family struggled to pay the medical bills and his wife shifted to Jaisalmer and then Jaipur to be able to afford his treatment. This was not smooth sailing for his family as they struggled to make ends meet. Vyas’s wife Shobha was out of options and approached the Cine and TV Artists Association (CINTAA) for financial help. But she was met with more disappointment as the association refused to help. The CINTAA is an association with a trust for actors.

Vyas’s saving grace was his co actors Irrfan Khan, Manoj Bajpayee and Aamir Khan. Aamir Khan ensured to help the family financially and paid a visit to them in February in Jaipur while shooting for PK. Shobha said, “It’s because of him we can afford a three BHK flat, medical expenses, fees for my daughters and other expenses.”

Actor Daya Shankar Pandey and friend of Vyas was quoted saying, “Vyas was a great actor and we will miss him immensely. He passed away on Sunday morning around 9:30 A.M. and his last rites will take place in the evening. He has two daughters and his wife struggled a lot while taking care of Vyas… He was a very well read man and an immensely talented actor, but he didn’t get his dues. But his work has always spoken for him. He was also into singing and had started writing too, but life was cruel to him.”